Past scary health episodes prompt Red Sox closer to miss series against Rockies

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen won't be joining the team for its three-game road series against the Colorado Rockies beginning on Monday.

The Red Sox and Jansen decided together ahead of the season that the four-time All-Star wouldn't make the trip to the high altitude of Coors Field due to a chronic heart condition.

"Too many times, stuff happened over there with me (in Colorado)," Jansen said, according to MLB.com . "(In) 2022 (with the Braves) was the last time I went there, and when I went back to Atlanta, I started having issues and then after a couple of weeks, I went back to (atrial fibrillation). I’m just trying to avoid that right now and try to get to the postseason, and I don’t think that’s a great time to go there and mess things up, and next thing you know, it’s going to hurt the team more. I would rather skip that one and be ready for the Yankees series (next weekend)."

Jansen was placed on the 15-day injured list in June 2022 while with the Atlanta Braves due to an irregular heartbeat .

The 36-year-old first dealt with an irregular heartbeat during the 2011 season. Jansen also had an "ablation procedure in November 2018 to address atrial fibrillation triggered by the high altitude in Denver, Colo., earlier that year," according to The Athletic , and also underwent a similar procedure following the 2012 campaign.

The two-time Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award winner faced the Los Angeles Dodgers (his longtime former team ) twice over the weekend but had a difficult start out of the All-Star break.

Saturday was only his second time back at Dodger Stadium since leaving the club after the 2021 campaign. Jansen surrendered a game-tying home run to former longtime teammate with Boston and Los Angeles, Enrique Hernandez, in the ninth inning, which was the first long ball he's allowed in 2024.

Jansen entered Sunday's contest in the eighth inning with the Red Sox trailing and gave up three runs.

Though his excused absence is certainly warranted, it leaves Boston's bullpen in a precarious situation, especially in terms of right-handed arms. Right-handed relievers Chris Martin and Justin Slaten are both on the injured list.

After 12 seasons with the Dodgers and one with the Braves, Jansen signed a two-year, $32M deal with the Red Sox in December 2022 and was an AL All-Star in 2023.

The Curacao native is first among active pitchers in games played (851) and second in both saves (439) and games finished (641). He's also fifth all-time in saves, trailing only Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and Lee Smith, as well as Baltimore Orioles stopper Craig Kimbrel.